In January 2005, Shafik Saleh Shafik was accused of detaining a 16-year-old girl against her will and of attempting to rape her. Shafik was director of a home for girls in Cairo (click here for more details). Last month, he was convicted of unlawfully detaining the girl, even though her parents had given him custody. He was also convicted of beating her. Shafik was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour. According to a November 29 report from Compass Direct, he has gone into hiding while his lawyers appeal the verdict on the grounds of court corruption, misapplication of the law and failure to justify the verdict.
(Source: Compass Direct)
Director of Home Goes Into Hiding
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- Country Information
Population
109,546,720 (2023 est.)Ethnicity (%)
Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)Religion (%)
Islam (90), Christianity (10)Leader
President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)Government type
Presidential republicLegal system
Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era lawsSource: CIA World Factbook
- Pray for Egypt
Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.
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Egypt News
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Christian Homes and Businesses Burned
Late into the evening of April 23rd, Islamic militants set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in the village of Al-Fawakher, which is located in Egypt's southern Minya province. Although the attackers attempted to prevent the occupants from leaving their burning homes, thankfully there were no reported fatalities.
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Temporary Church Building Burned
The temporary church building before and after the arson attack.
Photo: Christian Solidarity WorldwideLocal Christians in the village of Misha'at Zaafaranah, located within Egypt's Minya Province, are working to get approval to build a place of worship. The required documents have been submitted to the authorities and, for the meantime, the group of believers were meeting in a temporary structure on the land belonging to the church.
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Attack on Church Building Site
A Coptic church in Egypt.
Photo: Flickr / Mark Fischer (cc)Since 2016, the government of Egypt has been slowly approving the registration of more than 3,700 church buildings that were operating without the required licencing. These buildings were established before 2016, during a time when permits were virtually impossible to get. Although the licencing process now being administered has been long and tedious, thankfully progress is eventually taking place.
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An Additional 216 Church Buildings Legalized
A church in Egypt.
Photo: Flickr / Andrew A. Shenouda (cc)Seven years ago, the Egyptian government formed a committee to work through applications to legalize unlicensed church buildings. When the committee was first formed, there were 3,730 outstanding applications. Though the process has been exceedingly slow, thankfully that number has been gradually decreasing. To review previously posted reports on this situation, go to our country report.
